Games with good "Detective Mechanics"

[Unkillable Cat]

It's basically a clone of The Case of the Golden Idol. Demo available.

Played demo. It shares some substantial mechanics with Golden Idol to be sure but I found it a very different experience. Aside from the obvious setting difference, the presentation is a linear story with lots of dialogue and waiting for voice acting to finish. I like the mc voice actor; this is not enough to make me like the writing, which is neither intriguing nor funny. Part of what made Golden Idol so captivating for me was its vagueness and nonlinear format, where you have to deduce what the entire story is even about from basically nothing. Here you are walked through step by step, though this may be partially a result of this first section being tutorial-y. The 2nd puzzle gives you two possible solutions, and you simply guess which one is correct - no deduction involved. Overall it felt like "Golden Idol for children". Nothing wrong with that I guess. I may play this depending on how starved I am for a detective experience when it comes out.

I played the full game. You're pretty much spot on, based on the demo.

The full game obviously adds a few more things, but the only really 'different' thing from Golden Idol is that once you solve the case, you get to pick whether to make arrests or not. The game then tells you what other players decided to do. (Minor spoiler: Someone must be arrested, justice must be fed!) With that said, I'm still gonna claim that the game is overly linear. Another minor spoiler: There are two crimes afoot. Though the main crime is front and center, the other one gets uncovered in the process. But arrests and resolution and such only pertain to the main crime, the second crime goes unpunished by Lady Justice.

I agree that the voice acting is good, and I didn't mind the writing, though it never achieved any notable levels except when it comes to a page from a sci-fi novel. Then it goes all-in.

The production value in this one is high, but sadly the game is far too short, too linear and too expensive for what you get, unless you're getting this for a young'un as it's quite kid-friendly (at most it brings up murder in conversation, in truth no one is killed or even injured). Maybe people can get lucky and beat the game in less than 2 hours and get a refund from Steam.

(Also, what's the deal with duck detectives having first names that start with 'E'?)

 

[MessiahMan]

No "Deadline" yet? You're a detective around a mansion where a murder has happened. You have to walk around, the whole thing's timed, listen to conversations for clues, follow people, interrogate people. Old Infocom, so it's their poor parser, but the game's great.

Edit:

I haven't played them, but Deadline is part 1 of a three part series, including Suspect and The Witness. I can't vouch for the other two having not played them yet, but they bear mention.

 

[Koschey]

Soon (hopefully).

 

[3 others]

Anyone familiar with the recent Lorelai & Laser Eyes? I know nothing about it except that it's being compared to Obra Finn & Outer Wilds.

 

[Zombra]

Anyone familiar with the recent Lorelai & Laser Eyes? I know nothing about it except that it's being compared to Obra Finn & Outer Wilds.

Looks more like a puzzle/adventure game than a (mechanically) detective game ....... but I'm already hooked by the style.

 

[Nutria]

[/QUOTE]
Looks more like a puzzle/adventure game than a (mechanically) detective game ....... but I'm already hooked by the style.
[/QUOTE]

Goddammit Zombra, we trust you to not give in. You are the arsenal of the free (actually has mechanics) world versus the style (Ace Conan or whatever).

Imagine you're a good guy in an episode of Victory at Sea and tell us who is better.

 

[Modron]

This chinese investigative game just got a demo, going to check it out:

 

[Abu Antar]

The below game caught my eye.

 

[Zombra]

This chinese investigative game just got a demo, going to check it out:

I see potential. I like that corkboard/clue matching interface. Less excited about adventure game "spend 60% of your time watching the walking animation" vibes.

Whether it lives up to this part of the description will make or break it imo:

Freely choose to enhance your abilities—strength, spirit, charm—and select your own methods to investigate cases—psychological warfare? Bribery? Or simply beating up suspects? Deduction System: Collect, analyze, and connect related clues to create your own unique investigation path!

The below game caught my eye.

Don't get too excited. Codex thread here. Between reviews and Youtube impressions I lost interest very quickly.

 

[Maxie]

Whether it lives up to this part of the description will make or break it imo:

Freely choose to enhance your abilities—strength, spirit, charm—and select your own methods to investigate cases—psychological warfare? Bribery? Or simply beating up suspects? Deduction System: Collect, analyze, and connect related clues to create your own unique investigation path!

Sounds about as vague and ultimately pointless as the same gimmick in whispers of a machine

 

[toro]

This chinese investigative game just got a demo, going to check it out:

I tried the demo but I simply cannot stand the UI. Probably chinese brains are wired differently but I cannot do it without a strong motivation.

Anyone played it?

 

[StefanPetorivich]

Hello, I'm new here, didn't see Immortality by Sam Barlow of Her Story fame mentioned - it has you searching film footage of a missing actress and has a pretty good mechanical epiphany moment that recontextualizes thing (a bit like The Witness).

 

[Berekän]

Hi Sam

 

[StefanPetorivich]

Hi Sam

Gotta get those sales going.

 

[Jenkem]

Her Story was fucking garbage

 

[StefanPetorivich]

Her Story was fucking garbage

It would be way better if there was some input system for solutions like Obra Dinn so it's not all implicit.

 

[Zombra]

I just finished Between Horizons which is a damn near perfect detective adventure. Good writing, good setting, elegant and effective investigation mechanics, and difficult cases. You think you're so smart? Prove it. Beat my 9/10 cases cracked.

Read more: Codex thread | My Steam review

 

[Tramboi]

I just finished Between Horizons which is a damn near perfect detective adventure. Good writing, good setting, elegant and effective investigation mechanics, and difficult cases. You think you're so smart? Prove it. Beat my 9/10 cases cracked.

View attachment 53884

Read more: Codex thread | My Steam review

So it's better than Lacuna ?
Or if I didn't like Lacuna, it's not worth giving it a try ?

 

[Zombra]

So it's better than Lacuna ?
Or if I didn't like Lacuna, it's not worth giving it a try ?

Hmmm, I think both. I feel like the developer learned some lessons and the new game is shinier, and more complicated while simultaneously being more focused on solving cases. I remember Lacuna being more dialogue heavy. In any case I think they're both excellent so I'm not sure I'm a good person to ask.

The framework here is essentially the same: walk around, talk to people, look at things, consult your notes, make a decision, rolling autosave and no takebacks. If you didn't like this before I don't see why Between Horizons would change your mind.